ways and came not back a while, for they were busied about the
cooking. But whatever they did, none hailed him, or heeded him more
than if he had been an image, as he sat there looking on. None save
the old woman who brought him the fore-supper, to wit a great horn of
mead, and cakes and dried fish.

So was the hall arrayed for the feast very fairly, and Hallblithe sat
there while the sun westered and the house grew dim, and dark at
last, and they lighted the candles up and down the hall. But a
little after these were lit, a great horn was winded close without,
and thereafter came the clatter of arms about the door, and exceeding
tall weaponed men came in, one score and five, and strode two by two
up to the foot of the dais, and stood there in a row. And Hallblithe
deemed their war-gear exceeding good; they were all clad in ring-
locked byrnies, and had steel helms on their heads with garlands of
gold wrought about them and they bore spears in their hands, and
white shields hung at their backs. Now came the women to them and
unarmed them; and under their armour their raiment was black; but
they had gold rings on their arms, and golden collars about their
necks. So they strode up to the dais and took their places on the
high-seat, not heeding Hallblithe any more than if he were an image
of wood. Nevertheless that man sat next to him who was the chieftain
of all and sat in the midmost high-seat; and he bore his sheathed
sword in his hand and laid it on the board before him, and he was the
only man of those chieftains who had a weapon.

But when these were set down there was again a noise without, and
there came in a throng of men armed and unarmed who took their places
on the end-long benches up and down the hall; with these came women
also, who most of them sat amongst the men, but some busied them with